


"I'm a Broken Man, Neil."

by Lookatallmyships



Category: Fist Fight (2017)
Genre: Gen, Maggie is his sister not his wife, Neil's POV, Pre-Slash, This fic supposes that Strickland didn't drive Andy to the hospital, developing feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-29 21:36:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21417055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lookatallmyships/pseuds/Lookatallmyships
Summary: It starts when Mr Campbell comes to him and asks to buy some drugs. Even though the man clearly knew nothing about drugs (or how to recognize Molly when he saw it), Neil could respect his teacher for the confidence, and how he was clearly done with the shit that had been going on.
Relationships: Andy Campbell/Neil
Kudos: 3





	"I'm a Broken Man, Neil."

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what this is, but I finished it and that's what matters.

It starts when Mr Campbell comes to him and asks to buy some drugs. Even though the man clearly knows nothing about drugs (or how to recognize Molly when he sees it), Neil can respect his teacher for the confidence. A confidence that comes from being _done_ with the shit that's been going on. It was certainly a power move to take the 'drugs' and then refuse to pay before striding off. What was Neil going to do, accuse his teacher of attempting to buy Molly from him? Even if they tested the drugs and found out it was just aspirin, it would raise suspicion about him being an actual dealer. The last thing Neil needs is an investigation being launched. Like he said, power move.

Then a couple hours later while sitting in math class, Neil glances out the window and does a double take. Mr. Campbell and Mr. Strickland are being bent over a cop car before getting taken away in hand-cuffs. He has no idea what went down, but an _English_ teacher getting carted off of school grounds by the cops is pretty badass. Neil spares a moment to think that if Mr. Campbell gets locked up, at least he won't have to fight Strickland, and then he goes back to not doing his trigonometry work sheet. 

Derek Hendricks from Chemistry passes Neil in the hall and tells him that the two teachers got sprung from jail. Apparently Derek has an older brother who works down at the station and likes to text Derek updates whenever anything interesting happens. (Honestly, is it any surprise that Neil is planning on leaving this shitty town once he graduates?) Derek also says that they apparently locked both teachers in the same holding cell, and Mr. Campbell had managed to come out of it both unscathed and without pissing his pants like Neil probably would have done. That raises his respect for the English teacher a little more.

After school Neil's mom drags him along to watch his little sister's school talent show. Truthfully, Neil would have been there whether his mom asked or not, but he wasn't about to admit that. He has an image to uphold, afterall. No self-respecting teenager would be caught dead willingly watching thirty eleven year olds prance around on a stage for two and a half hours. (They also wouldn't help their sister practice her tap dance routine every night for three weeks leading up to the show either, but that's neither here nor there.) 

Neil's messing around on his phone as a kid sings that one song from Rent that everyone knows. When the drama teacher calls for a round of applause, he assumes the next act will be just as mind-numbingly boring. To Neil's surprise, who does he see come bursting out on stage to the opening notes of a Big Sean song, but Andy Campbell. He takes a second look at the little girl on stage, and vaguely recognizes her from one of the framed photos on Mr. Campbell's desk. One that he dutifully replaces every time it gets damaged or otherwise falls victim to student pranks. Neil expects some sort of hoky dance routine to a Kidz Bop-esque clean version of the song, but boy is he surprised. 

Mr. Campbell's clearly shocked when the first F bomb rings out across the auditorium, but after a couple moments he visibly says 'fuck it' and goes along with it. At the end when the man (sort of) apologizes before dropping the mic and walking off stage, Neil would be lying if he said there wasn't a huge grin on his face. When all of the kids in the audience start clapping and cheering, Neil just might be the one clapping the loudest. 

After that spectacular performance, there's no way in hell Neil is missing this fight. He's invested, damn it. Luckily his sister goes up next and after her performance, Neil makes some excuse to his mom about forgetting important homework in his locker and hauls ass back to school. He makes it just as the two teachers are squaring up, and Neil inserts his way into the crowd. He nudges the girl standing beside him. "Think there's any chance of Campbell winning this?"

She snorts. "Maybe if Strickland has a sudden surprise heart attack."

Neil sighs. He's so about to watch his English teacher get murdered.  
When Mr. Campbell goes down after the first punch, but then gets back up? That's when Neil decides that he's his favorite teacher.

~

After thirty minutes of the most intense fight Neil has ever seen, Andy struts outside only for Strickland to come up and sock him in the face, knocking him out for good. 

The crowd of students and faculty watch in stunned silence as Strickland grins triumphantly before striding off.

Mr. Campbell's cell phone suddenly starts ringing from beside his prone form on the ground. A few people exchange awakward glances, but no one makes a move to answer it. 

Finally after it's rung for the third time, Neil says fuck it and steps out from the crowd so he can bend down and answer it.

He's met by a woman's frantic voice.

_"Andy? Oh my god, are you there?"_

"Uh, no. He's... out right now." He looks down at his teacher sardonically. "Can I take a message?"

_"I don't know who you are, but I need you to get Andy right now. Tell him I just went into labor, and to meet me at the hospital!"_

Neil's eyes widen in surprise. "Alright, you got it. He'll be there in no time, um..."

_"Maggie."_

"Maggie" he confirms.

_"Now hurry" _she urges, and hangs up.

Neil looks around. The crowd is already beginning to disperse. They came to see a fight and they'd gotten one. He takes a second to ruminate on just how fucked up this situation is, before shaking his head in disbelief. Right- guess they're doing this, then. 

He kneels down beside the unconscious English teacher and shakes his shoulder. "Hey man, wake up." He shakes him harder when that gets no response. "Mr. Campbell!" 

Andy's eyes fly open and he starts to sit up before groaning in pain. "What happened?"

Neil smirks. "You got knocked the hell out, man. Just be glad Strickland didn't stick around to finish you off."

The older man raises a hand to his face, wincing when he comes into contact with the already blooming bruises. "Yeah, I feel that now."

"Now come on, we gotta get you up. Your wife just called-"

He frowns. "My wife? You mean Maggie?"

Neil shrugs. "Yeah, her. She said she went into labor, she's at the hospital."

Andy's eyes widen. "Oh shit, for real?"

"Yes! And I hope you know which hospital, because I didn't get a chance to ask."

He nods. "Yeah, the one on Newell street. That's the one she's been planned on going to because it's closest to her house."

"Ok, good" he bends down and offers him a hand. "Now come on. If tv has taught me anything, it's that you don't want to be late for this type of thing."

Andy laughs. "Yeah. That would be bad." He grabs Neil's hand, and together they manage to heave him up off of the pavement. "You have a car, right?"

Neil frowns. "Yeah, why?"

"I need you to drive me to the hospital, I kind of totaled my car."

He shakes his head. "Ok, come on." Neil starts leading his limping form around the side of the building towards the student parking. "Your ass better not bleed in my car."

"Alright" Andy laughs. "Maggie is my sister, by the way. She would kick my ass if she found out I was going around letting people think we're married."

Neil refuses to examine why that bit of information makes a plume of warmth spread through his chest, choosing to instead shoving it down into a far corner in his brain. He's got an English teacher to get to the hospital.

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't stop myself from taking this screenshot from the outtakes at the end of the movie: https://imgur.com/a/JuEofTC


End file.
